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Manny Pacquiao gets new governmental role

The Philippines’ Department of Tourism's (DOT) has announced boxer and senator Manny Pacquiao as its tourism ambassador.

The WBO welterweight champion will lend his image to an upcoming campaign to promote Filipino attractions, which will be showm#n both in the Asian country and abroad.

In November, the DOT said that it would spend PH₱650 million (US$13million) to revise the ‘It's More Fun in the Philippines’ push, which started in 2012. Advertising and marketing firm McCann Worldgroup will oversee the new campaign involving the eight-weight world champion.

"Senator Pacquiao's international stature is a big boost to the tourism industry of the country," said Enrico Pineda, a representative of Pacquiao’s political party, 1-PACMAN. “His endorsement would create a lot of impact, especially in the social media.”

DOT undersecretary Kat de Castro added: “The PH ₱650 million (US$13million) is not only for the tagline itself; that includes all the media placements all over